Nasal irrigator



W. R. GRIFFIN NASAL IRRIGATOR Juiy 19, 1960 Filed March 5, 1958 INVENTOR WALDO R. GRIFFIN FIG.4

United states The present invention relates to nasal irrigators and more particularly to self-administrable nasal irrigators.

The invention has for an object providing a nasal inigator that is readily adjustable for self-administration, but safely limits the fluid pressure that can be applied to that exentable by the users own lung power. In a preferred form of the invention, said nasal irrigator includes a hand-holdable reservoir bottle closed by a threaded cover member that has a pair of openings, or passageways, forrned or drilled therein. A pair of slidable flexible hoses having diameters slightly larger than the holes in the cover are sealed by their own resiliency in the holes so that upon pulling the hoses their length may be adjusted relative to the bottle. to fit any users mouth and nostrils. One of said hoses extends sufliei'ently above the cover to enter a nostril of the user while 'the other hose is curvable'to enterthe users mouth so that he may force fluid in the bottle into the one nostril by flowing the flushing fluid from one-nasal passage into the other through the nasal 'tu'rbin'at'es. Desirably, the upper end of the hose entering the users month has a mouth piece attached for facilitating its use. Additionally, the upper end of the hose entering the users nasal passage is covered to prevent sharp edges on the hose from irritating the nasal membranes.

While nasal or sinus irrigators for flowing salt solutions and the like through nasal and sinus passages have been known before, they have generally included a handoperable bulb and tube arrangement for forcing fluid from a basin, bottle or the like from an enlarged portion of the bulb into the nose of a user. Such systems are both awkward to use and painful, if not hazardous to the user when too great pressure is applied to the irrigating solution. Excessive fluid pressures are diflicult to avoid with such systems since the hydraulic leverage or amplification can be in excess of that safe for application to the sensitive membranes and tissues of the nasal and sinus passages. The force that can be generated by simple hand and finger pressures applied to a squeeze bulb can be excessive for such a function.

In contrast to such unwieldy systems that are unpleasant or painful to the user, I have found that the danger of excessive fluid pressure that can be applied to an irrigating solution can be greatly reduced by pressurizing the solution with the users own lung power. (As used herein, lung power of course includes the air pressure exertable by the users lungs and diaphragm.) Such pressure is inherently limited to a few pounds per square inch, approximately 5, so that by direct application of the users power to blow a fluid from a reservoir into the nasal passages the danger of excessive pressures to the nose and sinus is avoided. In accordance with the invention, my nasal irrigator includes a hand-held tubular reservoir bottle that can be filled with an irrigating solution by removal of a top cover that pressure seals the bottle. A pair of flexible hose members are sealed in the cover by their own resilience in a pair of holes formed therein. Since facial dimensions are different for each aterrt user, the flexible hoses are made slidable by slightelo ngation to permit ready adjustment relative to each other so that one tube easily enters a nostril of the user while the other enters his mouth.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of a nasal irrigator made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a similar form of nasal irrigator;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken inthe direction of arrows,33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the lower end of the reservoir illustrating an alternative form for the lower ends of the flexible hoses.

Referring now to the drawing and in particular to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that theself-administered nasal irrigator includes a tubular reservoir bottle 10 that can be held in the users hand. Bottle 10 is conveniently formed of a relatively stiff plastic material so that breakage in sink, lavatories and like is obviated but so that deformation will not occur under slight external or internal pressure. To form a relatively pressure-tight enclosure for the irrigantsolution to be placed in bottle 10, a cover member 12 is secured to the upper end of bottle 10 by screw threads 11 that are moldedor cut in the mating surfaces forming one end of the cylinder. As shown, cover member 12 is made as large as conveniently possible to make filling of bottle 10 easy for the user.

Fluid from reservoir bottle 10 is forced into one of the nasal passages of the user through flexible hose 16, which desirably is capped by a nose piece 20 formed of a soft resilient material. A separate material such as the sponge rubber indicated in Fig. 2 can be used, but I prefer to roll one end of tubing 16 back on itself to form a nonirriating end. It is particularly to be noted that irrigating hose 16 is sealed into communication with reservoir 10 by one of the pair of holes 15 in cover member 12. Holes 15 are made slightly smaller than the undeformed outer diameter of flexible hoses 14 and 16. The deformation of hose 16, for example, is indicated by the collar section 18 in Figs. 2 and 3. Desirably, hoses 14 and 16 are sufliciently flexible and resilient so that the user can adjust the upper ends of the hoses to his own facial dimensions simply by applying tension thereto on either side of cover 12. Of course, only one of the hoses need be made flexible in this way if the range of the users dimensions is limited. As further indicated in the drawing, tube 16 is relatively thin so that its upper end will extend Well up into the users nasal passage and as near as possible to the nasal turbinates that become congested when the user suffers from sinusitus or other sinus disorders. Thus, the turbinates can be flushed rather than sprayed.

Hose 14 may include a mouth piece so that when the user applies the desired pressure-limited force to the liquid solution out of reservoir 10, hose 14 easily engages the mouth when hose 16 is inserted in sealing engagement with the nasal passage. In a preferred manner of construction, the upper end of flexible hose 14 includes a glass or plastic mouth piece 17 that is bowed in approximately its center to permit easy access to the users mouth.

. The relative spacing between mouth piece 17, if used,

and cap or nose piece 2%, where used, requires an easy adjustability to accommodate physical differences of users.

lower ends of hoses 14 and 16 at any suitable angle to To prevent possible blockage of either hose when adjusted vertically in bottle 10, it is desirable to cut thetheir axes; more simply, the lower ends 16A and 14A in Fig. 4 may be said to be cut on the bias. Thus, if either hose is pushed down too far into pressure reservoir 10, neither the air nor fluid conduits are blocked off. While hose 14 has been shown to be approximately the same length as hose 16, the air pressure hose can terminate anywhere within reservoir so long as its engagement with cover 12 prevents the hose from being blown out of sealing engagement with hole 15. In 'its simplest form, hose 14 can be made as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In operation, the user removes cover 12 and fills reservoir 10 with a nasal irrigating solution, such as common salt or baking soda dissolved in water. He then adjusts the length of hose 16 and inserts the upper end of that hose into sealing engagement with one nostril and blows through air pressure hose 14 to force the liquid into the nasal and sinus passages. Drainage of the irrigating solution will be through the opposite nostril of the user since when he applies pressure in this manner since his throat will be substantially blocked off by the blowing action. For reverse flushing the same procedure is then repeated through the other nostril.

While bottle 10 is conveniently refilled by removal of cover 12, it will be apparent that my nasal irrigator can be constructed so that filling is through an enlarged bottom cover. In such construction, hoses 14 and 16 engage a fixed end wall of cylindrical bottle 10.

Other modifications and changes in the exact construction of a lung-power limited nasal and sinus passage irrigator will become apparent from the foregoing description without departing from the inventive concept. All such modifications and changes falling within the scope of the following claim and its obvious equivalents are intended to be included therein.

I claim:

A hand-held, self-administrable nasal passage irrigator that is lung-power limited to the user thereof comprising a hand-holdable reservoir bottle for containing a nasal irrigating fluid, a cover member threadably engaging said bottle to form a sealing wall for said reservoir bottle, said cover member having at least a pair of passageways formed therein, a pair of elongated, resilient hoses in said passageways having outer diameters that are slightly greater than said passageways to form an air-pressure seal therearound but small enough to permit vertical adjustment by applying tension to either end of said hoses, one of said hoses extending from adjacent the bottom of said bottle and terminating at a length above said cover member suflicient only to permit upward pressure on said bottle by the user to force deep entry into one nostril to make a fluid seal therewith during use, the end of said hose within said bottle being severed on the bias to prevent closure of said end when against the bottom of said bottle, the upper end of said hose for engaging the users nostril having an integrally formed cap portion to prevent scraping of the users nasal membrane, and the other of said hoses extending into said reservoir bottle sufficient only to permit air pressure to be exerted on the upper portion of said bottle, said other hose terminating adjacent the end of said nostril engaging hose to form a mouth piece for ready entry into the users mouth 'Whereby the user can control the pressure applied to the fluid while holding said nostril engaging hose in contact with his nasal passage by holding said reservoir bottle in his hand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 902,832 Philbrook NOV. 3, 1908 1,502,163 Sprague July 22, 1924 2,815,889 Stetz et a1. Dec. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 188 Great Britain 1899 

